


Harry

by EggMuffin



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: 1950s, Carol/The Price of Salt AU, Eggsy as Therese, F/M, Harry as Carol, M/M, Merlin as Abby, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, semi-fictional setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-05-14 12:26:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EggMuffin/pseuds/EggMuffin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day, a young man working at a London department store sells a trainset to a gentleman who forgets his gloves. </p><p>Carol/The Price of Salt AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The gentleman forgets his gloves

**Author's Note:**

> AU based on the movie Carol. The story follows the plot of the movie quite closely, with some tweaks here and there to fit the characters. I’ve only used the central characters from Kingsman and the rest of the characters are original.  
> All the establishments are fictional. The setting is semi-fictional, the story takes place in London in mid-1950s, but in this story homosexuality is not criminalized, but the society is very homophobic. While anti-discrimination laws are in place, homosexual criminals are still awarded more severe sentences and very few places are willing to hire openly gay people. Also, while men are still regarded more highly and a lot of women are housewives, they are a lot more equal than in the actual 50s. I haven’t put much effort into research when it comes to technology, transport, customs, fashion, slang, etc. of the time period. I’m basing this on the film itself, on other films/novels set in the 50s and on previous knowledge of the era. My apologies to anyone who was hoping for a realistic depiction of the life in the 50s, but my focus for this story is the relationship between Harry and Eggsy.

Eggsy woke up to his freezing flat. He took in the silence of the flat and the noise from the street and slowly sat up. He sat on the edge of his bed for a few minutes, before wrapping himself tightly in his blanket and making his way to the kitchen. He didn’t bother with heating; he’d be away for most of the day anyway. December was always a busy month in the toy department.

Eggsy made himself coffee and brushed his teeth while it cooled. Once it wasn’t hot enough to burn his tongue, he downed it in two gulps and ventured back to his tiny bedroom to get dressed. He emerged again, now dressed in simple slacks, shirt and a jumper, grabbed his satchel and pulled on his shoes. It was time to go to work.

Working at Maybridges wasn’t… bad. The hours were reasonable. The pay was decent, enough to pay his rent and not starve, and he even managed to save a few quid each month for a new camera or a bike. He hadn’t really decided yet which he wanted more – a newer Canon or a bike with brakes that worked. Of course, he knew that the money would go towards neither of those things. It would go to his mum when she was in a rough spot again, or maybe, just maybe, he’d manage to save up enough to move mum and Daisy out of Dean’s apartment.

More importantly, the job was honest. It took four months of crashing with friends and surviving on one meal a day to drag himself out of Dean’s grasp, but he did it, he survived and now he had his own little place and a decent job. And Dean was apparently more tolerable without him around, even if he didn’t have someone readily available to run his ‘’errands’’ for him.

As he cycled to work, Eggsy mused about the trip Sophie was so excited about. She wanted to go to Paris and Eggsy would do a lot for her, but he couldn’t see that happening. He also knew that Sophie was keen on marriage, but Eggsy wasn’t going to propose any time soon. It didn’t feel right; their whole relationship didn’t feel right to him. He didn’t love Sophie and he didn’t desire her either; he just enjoyed her company, but now he wasn’t sure if the last bit was even true. He felt guilty, because he clearly wasn’t as invested in their relationship as she was, and there must be someone better for her, someone who would take her to Paris, marry her and build a home, and that someone wasn’t Eggsy.

With a sigh, Eggsy chained up his bike and joined his coworkers inside the department store. The security guard gave each clerk a festive hat to wear as they made their way to the employee’s rooms, where Eggsy killed time solving a crossword puzzle until his shift started. At ten o’clock on the dot he took his position behind the counter in the toy department and donned his hat before a manager could tut at him.

Within the first two hours he helped an elderly lady pick out a toy car for her grandson and directed countless people to the toilets and other departments. He was just about losing it, when he spotted a gentleman studying the trainset display. He was tall, with a proud, regal bearing and thick brown hair combed back flawlessly. He was dressed tastefully in a grey suit and coat, a dark red scarf and black leather gloves, carrying an expensive looking black briefcase. Eggsy was taken aback as he watched the light reflect off the gentleman’s hair and just as he craned his neck to get a better look, the man lifted his gaze from the display and looked towards Eggsy, as if sensing that he was watched. His eyes were hidden behind black-rimmed glasses, but he was very handsome, in a distinguished kind of way.

Before Eggsy could pay more attention to the man, a woman with a toddler appeared in his peripheral vision. ‘’Excuse me, could you direct me to the bathroom?’’

Eggsy cursed inwardly, but pointed to the lifts. ‘’To the lifts and then to the right, you can’t miss it, ma’am.’’ The woman thanked him and when Eggsy lifted his gaze, the gentleman had disappeared.

 _Fuck_ , thought Eggsy. The appearance of the gentleman was the most interesting thing that had happened to him today. He returned to taking stock of the dolls and toy cars at the counter. As soon as he had crouched to count the toys under the counter, someone spoke again. ‘’Excuse me,’’ said a male voice and Eggsy stood up to discover the gentleman in front of his register. Up close, Eggsy could see that his eyes were brown and that he was older, probably in his forties.

‘’I was wondering if you could help me,’’ the gentleman said, resting his gloves on the counter.

‘’I’ll do my best.’’

‘’I’m looking for a present for a five year old girl. Have you got any ideas?’’ asked the man, sounding genuinely distraught.

‘’How about this doll?’’ said Eggsy, showing the man a large doll in a frilly light blue dress. ‘’She’s our best seller this year.’’

The gentleman chuckled. ‘’I’m afraid the little lady in question has given me strict instructions _not_ to buy a doll.’’

‘’Oh.’’ Eggsy thought for a moment. He wanted to impress the gentleman for some reason, to really help him. That the little girl – his daughter, Eggsy guessed – would open the present and that the gentleman would think of Eggsy and mentally thank him for his good suggestion. Perhaps he would even come back.

‘’What else do children want these days?’’

‘’Perhaps a trainset,’’ Eggsy offered, eyeing the display. The gentleman followed his gaze. ‘’Do you think so?’’

‘’It’s all my sister wants, sir. She’s four,’’ said Eggsy and the man seemed to think about it.

‘’Oh, fuck it,’’ the man said and Eggsy did a double-take. He’d never heard people of such status swearing, at least in public. The man seemed to realise that. ‘’Oh, bugger, I apologise. I hate Christmas shopping,’’ he said as if it would explain everything. And it did, Eggsy could definitely sympathise. ‘’I trust your advice. Do you deliver?’’

‘’Yes, sir. We’ll even set it up for you and all.’’

‘’Well, that’s that then. Do I pay here?’’

 _Perfect_ , thought Eggsy and gave the gentleman the receipt book. ‘’You name and address here, please.’’ He watched the man write down his contacts and sign the receipt with a flourish, before picking up his briefcase.

‘’Thank you very much for shortening my torture,’’ the man said with a small smile. ‘’Have a lovely day.’’

‘’You, too,’’ said Eggsy and watched the man walk away with long assured strides. Right in front of the lifts, the man turned back to look at Eggsy, before disappearing in the crowd. Eggsy turned to file the receipt, unable to shake the warm brown eyes from his mind and noticed the gentleman’s gloves still on the counter. Finding the man in the department store now was a lost cause, but Eggsy’s eyes fell on the receipt with the gentleman’s name and address.

When his shift ended at six, he picked up Sophie from the perfume counter and took her home on his bike. He kissed her softly good night and cycled home, before meeting up with Ryan and Jamal for drinks. The looks Jamal got because of his skin colour didn’t bother Eggsy tonight, his mind was on a satchel in his bag, containing a pair of expensive leather gloves, addressed to one Harry Hart.

‘’Eggsy, mate, you alright?’’ Ryan asked, punching Eggsy’s arm. ‘’Been all thoughtful on us the entire night.’’

Eggsy tore his thoughts off of Harry Hart. ‘’Yeah, yeah, ‘m fine.’’

‘’Soph giving you trouble again?’’

Eggsy grasped at the opportunity to hide the truth. ‘’Yeah, banging on about Paris, the usual, y’know.’’

Jamal nodded. ‘’Yeah, mate. Women.’’ Ryan made an agreeing sound into his beer and Eggsy took the opportunity to change the topic. ‘’So anyway, Jamal, how’s the writing going?’’

‘’Yeah, how’s own very own Hemingway doing?’’ Ryan joined in.

‘’Piss off, you two. You know hard it is to get someone to read your stuff? Everyone and their mother is a writer these days. And the minute they find out you’re black, you’re out of the question.’’

‘’We’d read your stuff, mate,’’ Eggsy offered.

‘’Do you even know how to read, Unwin?’’

‘’Oh, shut it, you cunt!’’ Eggsy said, feigning to be angry before grinning.

Jamal took a sip of his beer. ‘’I managed to get my foot in the door at The Times, though.’’ Eggsy and Ryan let out low whistles. ‘’Eggs, they’re looking for a junior photographer. Give it a go?’’

‘’With my piece of shit camera? I don’t think so,’’ said Eggsy and finished the last of his beer. ‘’Anyway, I’m off. Work tomorrow.’’

‘’Alright, mate, get back to your knitting!’’ Ryan called after him as he stepped outside.

On his way home he stopped in front of a drop box. He’d intended to post the gloves tomorrow, but maybe he’d be able to stop thinking about Harry Hart if he posted them now. Eggsy took the satchel out of his bag and stared at the post box with a frown. He then dropped the package through the slit and walked away quickly as if he was escaping a crime scene.


	2. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry Hart has a hard time dealing with his divorce. Eggsy Unwin is the unlikely distraction.

Harry Hart was typing away in his office, when he heard the front door open. ‘’Harry?’’ called Helen, his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Harry rose with a sigh and stood up to go and greet her, although he wasn’t in the mood for Helen’s theatrics. As he walked downstairs, his daughter passed him in a flurry of pastel green and dark brown, calling out, ‘’Mummy!’’.

‘’Oh, my Roxy, my darling,’’ cooed Helen as she lifted Roxy in the air and Harry watched them interact with a heavy heart. The court would almost definitely award the custody to Helen, even if Harry didn’t have his _predilection_ hanging heavily over his head. Helen hadn’t used the knowledge yet, but she might, especially if Harry kept pushing for more visits.

‘’You’ve got mail,’’ Helen said, turning to Harry and indicating that the mail in question was on the table with a jerk of her head.

‘’Thank you,’’ said Harry. ‘’You’re leaving now? Roxy’s bags are in the living room. I’ll help you carry them.’’ The sooner Helen left the better.

Helen’s eyes turned soft. ‘’You can still come. Chester would be glad to see you,’’ she said quietly.

‘’Roxy, go put on your coat, dear,’’ said Harry and watched his daughter run to the other room with all the unbridled joy and enthusiasm of a child whose life isn’t going to change drastically.

‘’I have plans. With…’’ he said, watching Helen purse her lips because she knew what was coming. ‘’With Merlin.’’

‘’Of course you do. Harry, think of your daughter.’’

‘’You mean, think of you and your horrible nosy friends.’’ Roxy wouldn’t neither benefit nor lose from whether or not Harry attended the party. But most of Helen’s friends didn’t know about the divorce yet.

‘’Harry, come to the damn party. You’ll be spending the holidays with Merlin anyway.’’

Harry looked at Helen and under the bitterness, he could see sadness and hurt that he had caused. But he couldn’t live with a woman he didn’t love. During the year leading up to the point where Harry filed for divorce, they had argued every single day. About small things like dinner and about big things like Helen’s infidelity and Harry’s sexuality. Harry wasn’t the only one with a secret; he knew that the cheating hung over Helen’s head like his past relationship with Merlin hung over his. _One last time_ , he told himself. _I’ll go around to Chester’s one last time._

‘’Alright, I’ll go with you.’’

Helen smiled widely, looking more beautiful than he’d seen her in a long time. It did nothing to curb the heaviness in his heart and mind. ‘’Oh, Harry, thank you!’’ She stepped closer and put her arms around him. ‘’I still love you, you know,’’ she said softly.

Harry hummed in acknowledgement and made no move to embrace her. ‘’I think Roxy is ready to go,’’ he said instead. Helen let go and took a step back. ‘’Alright.’’

They packed Roxy and her bags into the car and Harry kissed her goodbye. ‘’Daddy, aren’t you coming? There’s more room in the car.’’

‘’Oh, love, Daddy has to stay behind. I’ll see you at Christmas.’’ He closed the door and Helen turned to him. ‘’She’s right, there’s room for you.’’

‘’Goodbye, Helen. Drive safe,’’ said Harry and watched Helen climb into the car and drive away. He went back inside and picked up the mail. In the midst of season’s greetings from his business partners and other business related correspondence was a larger brown package addressed to him from someone called Gary Unwin. He opened the envelope to reveal his gloves that he’d lost the day he bought Roxy the trainset.

_Dear Mr. Hart,_

_You forgot these on the counter. I took the liberty to mail them back to you, they look very warm and comfortable; it would be a shame to lose them._

_I hope the little lady enjoys her trainset._

_Kind regards,_

_Gary Unwin_

_They must be from the young man at the counter,_ Harry thought. He remembered bright green eyes and blond fringe peeking out underneath a santa hat. The lad was captivating and had stayed in Harry’s thoughts for the rest of that day, until he had to force himself to stop. Now was not the time to be distracted by handsome young clerks.

Harry read the note again. But perhaps, with the divorce proceedings going slow due to the holidays and Roxy staying with Helen, this was exactly the time to distract himself with handsome young clerks. Merlin was going to Scotland in a few days and Harry would be left alone. He went back into his study and picked up the phone. ‘’Operator? Please connect me with the Maybridges department store.’’ He waited for the call to be connected. Finally a crisp female voice answered, ‘’Maybridges department store.’’

‘’Good day, does a Gary Unwin work there?’’

‘’Unwin? Yes.’’

‘’Could I speak to him, please?’’

‘’One moment.’’

Harry listened to the sounds of the busy store through the phone and imagined a manager fetching the lad from the counter. He could hear the phone being picked up and a familiar voice answered, ‘’Hello?’’.

‘’Gary Unwin?’’ he asked, although he recognised the voice. Gary’s ‘’yes’’ sounded hesitant. ‘’It’s Harry Hart, you sold me the trainset the other day. And sent back my gloves.’’

Harry thought he heard a breath of relief. ‘’Oh, Mr. Hart! Did they arrive?’’

‘’Yes, and I wanted to thank you. You’re right, they are very warm and comfortable and it truly would be a shame to lose them.’’

‘’It’s no problem, Mr. Hart,’’ said Gary and Harry felt the need to correct him. ‘’Call me Harry, please,’’ he said.

‘’Harry,’’ repeated Gary and Harry found he liked the way his name sounded when Gary spoke it.

‘’I was wondering, do you have a lunch hour there? I’d like to take you to lunch. As a thank you, you see.’’ _Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes –_

‘’Oh, it’s no problem, Mr. Ha – Harry.’’

‘’Still, if it’s not too untoward, join me for lunch tomorrow?’’ Harry tried again.

There was a pause. _Shit_ , Harry thought and started to end the call, when Gary spoke, ‘’Yes, I’d like that.’’

  _Thank fucking God._ ‘’Marvellous. Do you know a little place called Lancelot’s?’’

‘’No, I don’t think I do. Could you give me the address?’’

Harry gave Gary the address and listened to Gary jotting it down. ‘’We’ll, I’m looking forward to it. Tomorrow, 1 o’clock, yes?’’

‘’Yes. I’m looking forward to it, too. I’ll see you then, Harry.’’

‘’I’ll see you then, Gary.’’

‘’If I’m to call you Harry, please, call me Eggsy. It’s what everyone calls me.’’ _What a curious nickname,_ Harry mused. ‘’Alright, Eggsy, I will see you tomorrow.’’

They said their goodbyes and ended the call. He’ll have to cancel his plans with Merlin because of Chester’s party, but at least he had something to look forward to. Maybe lunch with Eggsy will make having to go to Chester’s tolerable, something good to balance out the dreadful evening. Maybe he was putting too much faith in the boy, but he was generally an excellent judge of character. And Eggsy was definitely the most interesting person he’d met in ages.

\--

Harry made his way down the street to Lancelot’s a few minutes to 1 and spotted Eggsy already waiting for him. He was wearing a black trench coat that didn’t look terribly warm with dark green gloves and scarf. He looked… young. _Christ, he must be just starting his adult life_ , mused Harry. _Hart, you old pervert._

Eggsy spotted him and raised a hand in greeting after a moment’s hesitation. Harry waved back and picked up his pace. They greeted each other when Harry made it to the restaurant and went inside. Harry steered them to his favourite spot in the back and allowed Eggsy to choose the side. The younger man took a seat with his back to the window and Harry gestured to the waiter to bring the menus as he sat down. Eggsy opened his menu immediately and Harry took the moment to observe his companion.

He’d remembered correctly, Eggsy’s eyes were bright green, almost sparkling, and Harry’s memory hadn’t deceived him when it came to how handsome the young man was. With his strong jawline, clear complexion and messy blond hair, he was undeniably beautiful. A heartbreaker, no doubt.

Eggsy frowned at the menu and he looked almost unbearably adorable like that, but Harry decided to take pity on him. ‘’I’ll have a martini and eggs Benedict, please,’’ he told the waiter. Eggsy raised his head, brow still slightly furrowed, and cleared his throat. ‘’I’ll have the same, please.’’

‘’The meal or the drink?’’

‘’Both.’’

The waiter nodded and scurried off. Harry took a cigarette and offered one to Eggsy, who declined. ‘’You don’t smoke?’’ Harry inquired, lighting his cigarette.

‘’On occasion,’’ answered Eggsy and straightened his shirt cuffs that were peeking out beneath his jumper.

Their martinis arrived and Harry thanked the waiter before taking a sip and relishing the taste. Perfect as ever. He watched Eggsy try the drink and make a thoughtful face, as if trying to decide if he liked it or not. He seemed to approve of it, as he immediately took a second sip.

‘’That’s an interesting nickname – Eggsy,’’ Harry said after a moment.

‘’Had it since childhood, it kind of stuck,’’ explained Eggsy.

Harry hummed in response. ‘’It fits you. More than Gary does, anyway.’’

Eggsy’s lips curved into a shy smile and Harry was captivated. What an interesting young man he was.

‘’What do you do?’’ Eggsy asked.

‘’I’m a tailor,’’ Harry said and put out his cigarette just as their eggs arrived.

Eggsy gestured to his suit. ‘’Is that your own creation?’’

‘’In a way. We’ll, it’s from our shop. Made by a longtime colleague and very good friend of mine and I’m lucky to have it.’’ Harry patted the lapel of his suit affectionately. It was true; the dark blue pinstripe was one of James’ best.

‘’You look very good in it,’’ said Eggsy before tucking into his meal. Harry preened a little; it had been a while since anyone complimented him so openly. ‘’Thank you, Eggsy, that’s very kind of you.’’

They spoke of various things as they ate. Harry learned that Eggsy was from West Acton, but now lived in a small flat in Islington, that his sister’s name is Daisy, that he dislikes football, but finds rugby bearable. Another question burned in the back of Harry’s mind. ‘’Are you seeing someone?’’

Eggsy didn’t seem to be taken aback by such a personal question. ‘’Well, yes… Sort of.’’

How curious. ‘’Sort of?’’

‘’Sophie and I, we’ve been dating for a while, but I don’t think I love her.’’ Eggsy frowned again. ‘’She’s much more invested in the relationship than I am, anyway.’’ Somehow, knowing that Eggsy wasn’t in love with someone soothed and excited Harry at the same time. He knew why that was, of course – he had a crush on the boy.

‘’Ah… Well, that can sometimes happen.’’

Eggsy pointed to Harry’s left hand. ‘’You’re married?’’

Harry looked down to see that despite everything, he was still wearing his wedding ring. ‘’Going through divorce, actually.’’

‘’Oh, I’m sorry.’’

Harry smiled. ‘’Don’t be. Both I and my wife will be better for it.’’ He looked out of the window to see Merlin park his Jaguar just across the road. Harry glanced at his watch and pulled out his wallet. ‘’I’m terribly sorry, Eggsy, but my ride is here. Thank you for a lovely time.’’

Eggsy followed Harry’s gaze. ‘’Quite the ride.’’

‘’Belongs to my best friend, who has the worst taste in cars, fashion and nationalities – he’s Scottish,’’ Harry said in stage whisper and enjoyed the little laugh Eggsy gave in response.

He almost turned to go before he thought of something. ‘’Eggsy, would you like to visit me on Sunday? If you’re free, of course.’’

Eggsy smiled again.  ‘’I’d like that.’’

‘’I’ll pick you up at Maybridges at noon, does that sound good?’’

‘’That does sound good, Harry.’’

‘’Perfect. Until Sunday, Eggsy.’’

‘’Until Sunday, Harry.’’

The promise of Eggsy’s company put a spring in Harry’s step that Merlin didn’t miss. ‘’So I guess the date went well?’’ he asked as Harry climbed into the passenger seat.

‘’Shut up,’’ said Harry with a smile. Before admitting, ‘’He’s coming over on Sunday,’’ after a beat.

‘’What are you doing, Harry? He’s so young.’’

‘’None of your damn business,’’ hummed Harry, although he was wondering the same thing. Merlin snorted in response and they spent the ride in companionable silence.

Harry’s good mood vanished by the time they made it to Chester King’s house. ‘’Oh, fuck,’’ he groaned as Merlin parked the car.

‘’Enjoy your torture, traitor,’’ said Merlin simply and pushed Harry out of the Jaguar. Harry took a deep breath and made his way to the house. He greeted Chester, an old friend of his father’s, and went to find some alcohol.

‘’Oh, Harry, you came!’’ gushed Helen when she found Harry in the lounge. ‘’Hello, Helen,’’ he said, putting on a mask of a loving husband for the sake of the guests. He wanted nothing more than to go home.

He wasn’t the only one. As he took Helen to the dancefloor some time later, he could feel his mother-in-law’s eyes boring into his back. They had never got along and now their already tense relationship was a minefield, with the divorce and everything surrounding that.

Somehow, he survived the evening and drove a slightly tipsy Helen home. He parked her car and walked her to the door. ‘’Thank you for staying sober,’’ she said. ‘’Well, mostly sober. I saw that glass of whiskey.’’

Harry turned to go. ‘’Good night, Helen.’’

‘’Harry – tonight was good. We… worked.’’ Harry could hear that she was close to tears. He sighed. He just couldn’t do this tonight.

‘’It was one night, Helen,’’ he said without turning to face her. ‘’Anyone can put on an act for one night. For the rest of our lives – that’s another matter.’’

Helen let out a sob. ‘’I still love you, Harry.’’

‘’Good night, Helen.’’

As he walked away to find a taxi, Harry told himself that he needed to be cold and cut himself off from Helen for his own good and that his lack of regard to her feelings had nothing to do with a certain young man occupying this thoughts.


	3. The measure of a gentleman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy goes to visit Harry.

On Sunday, Eggsy woke up feeling excited. He put on his best jumper and took his time styling his hair, so it looked less like his usual slightly messy style and more like Harry’s perfectly coiffed hair do. By 11 o’clock, he was nearly bursting with anticipation; he wanted to see what Harry’s house looked like, what car he drove, he wanted to go through his record collection and liquor cabinet.

‘’Are you coming back tonight?’’ asked Sophie as they waited for Harry to arrive in front of the department store. She had insisted on seeing him off, although Eggsy had tried to convince her not to come.

‘’I don’t know yet, Soph,’’ he answered absentmindedly, looking up and down the street trying to spot Harry. It occurred to him that he wouldn’t recognize Harry’s car, anyway, so he turned to Sophie. He wanted to say something about how he was going to be back as soon as possible, but he didn’t want to lie; she deserved that much at least. Truth be told, Eggsy was probably going to stay as long as Harry would permit him. Maybe he’ll even get to sleep over and have breakfast with Harry in the morning. He imagined them joking over their coffee and toast, imagined Harry primly wiping the crumbs off his shirt.

A car pulled into the curb and Eggsy recognised Harry behind the wheel. ‘’That’s my ride,’’ he said to Sophie. ‘’Take care, Sophie.’’ He opened the door and sat it, introducing Harry and Sophie, before wishing Sophie good bye and closing the door. He was swift about it, but it didn’t stop him from hearing her soft ‘’I love you’’ just before the door clicked shut. He ignored her.

Harry smiled at him. ‘’Shall we?’’

Eggsy returned the smile and Harry pulled away from the curb.

They drove in silence for a few minutes. ‘’She’s very pretty,’’ remarked Harry eventually.

Eggsy made a non-committal noise. Harry cast him a meaningful look. ‘’I’m sure she’ll have plenty of suitors.’’

Eggsy frowned. _What did he mean by that?_

Harry seemed to read his mind. ‘’What I’m saying is, Eggsy, that if you leave her, she’ll be blue for a while, but someone else will take your place soon.’’

‘’You think so?’’

‘’Certainly. It’s pointless to stay with someone if it doesn’t feel right. Trust me, I would know,’’ said Harry and lifted his left hand from the steering wheel. Eggsy followed the movement and noticed that Harry’s ring finger was now bare.  ‘’You took it off?’’ he asked.

‘’I think it was about time,’’ said Harry nonchalantly and gave a little shrug. ‘’I was only wearing it out of habit, anyway.’’

Eggsy tried to imagine Harry the husband, kissing his wife on the cheek before going to work. In his mind, Harry’s wife was as elegant and put together as Harry, hair perfectly curled, wearing expensive, but sophisticated jewellery to complete her tasteful outfit. She must have been graceful and educated, just like Harry and Eggsy just couldn’t see how he could fit into Harry’s life.

‘’How long were you together?’’

‘’Oh, Christ, Eggsy. Ages,’’ sighed Harry. ‘’Twelve years.’’

_Oh fuck_ , thought Eggsy. He couldn’t imagine being married to Sophie, not even for a year, let alone twelve. But somehow, he couldn’t really see Harry as the marrying type. He might’ve looked like anyone’s dream husband, with his warm brown eyes and immaculate manners, but there was something else; somehow Eggsy got the distinct feeling that Harry had a rebellious streak.

‘’That’s a long time,’’ he murmured, more to himself than to Harry. Nevertheless, Harry hummed in agreement.  

It wasn’t a long drive to Harry’s home in the outskirts of London. From the outside, the house looked simple but elegant. The garden, however, was large and Eggsy guessed it looked quite lavish in the summer. But even in the winter, it looked beautiful, the kind that Eggsy’s mum dreamed of. There were small evergreen trees covered in a thin layer of snow and bare bushes that had a silvery shine from the frost.

Eggsy fished his camera out of his bag and turned to ask Harry if he minded Eggsy taking some pictures, but his host had made his way to the far end of the garden to talk to a neighbour over the fence. Eggsy raised his camera and snapped a photo of Harry without even thinking about it. He took two more before photographing the trees and the garden to show to his mum. Once he had finished documenting the most interesting things, he found Harry standing in the middle of the garden. Again, before he had time to properly think about it, he took another photograph of Harry. He thought Harry looked regal like this, like a king looking over his kingdom, but there was something melancholy about the way he looked into the distance.

Before Eggsy had a chance to take any more photographs, Harry turned and made his way to Eggsy. ‘’You must show me sometime,’’ he said. ‘’Your pictures. I’m sure you’re very talented.’’

Eggsy shrugged. ‘’I wouldn’t know. No one who knows anything about photography has ever seen my pictures.’’

Harry looked at him with a small smile. ‘’Do you think that only professionals can tell that?’’ Eggsy didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything. Instead he busied himself with wrapping his camera up again, avoiding Harry’s soft amused gaze. He wished that Harry would drop the topic.

‘’I think that everyone can tell the work of a talented artist from the work of a talentless one,’’ said Harry. ‘’I think you can tell a good suit from a poorly-made one, Eggsy.’’ There was a moment of silence. Then: ‘’Let’s go inside.’’

That sounded good to Eggsy. Maybe seeing Harry’s home would help him understand the man better.

The house on the inside was much like on the outside – understated, but elegant. Everything was neat and tidy, save for a pile of boxes and valises in the living room. ‘’Don’t mind them, Eggsy,’’ said Harry, ‘’divorce can sometimes get a little messy.’’ Eggsy wanted to ask for further explanation, but decided against it, not wanting to seem nosy.

\--

After a light lunch, Harry took Eggsy to his office to show him some of his suit designs and patterns, explaining the story behind each of them. Eggsy watched Harry’s fingers as he ran them over the paper, explaining and pointing out a certain line or cut, and tried to imagine Harry explaining them to a client. When Harry talked about the different measurements needed to make a suit, Eggsy imagined Harry taking his measurements, the feel of tape measure and Harry’s hands on his body. It was a dangerous thought, and Eggsy did his best to push it out of his mind.

Harry lifted a drawing of a dark blue suit and held it up, eyeing the design and Eggsy assessively.  ‘’This would suit you, I think,’’ he said at last. Eggsy looked at the drawing. ‘’And if I put that on, will that make me a gentleman like you?’’ he asked.

‘’Don’t be ridiculous. It takes a great deal more than a good suit to make a gentleman,’’ he said and Eggsy wilted, despite the fact that Harry didn’t sound offended. ‘’It’s manners, Eggsy, that maketh man.’’

‘’Manners and money,’’ said Eggsy before he could stop himself. Harry chuckled. ‘’Money certainly makes it easier,’’ he admitted. ‘’But mailing my gloves back to me was a very gentlemanly deed, Eggsy. There may be hope for you yet,’’ he teased.  

They retired to the living room, where Harry went to pour them a drink before stopping. ‘’How old are you, Eggsy?’’ he asked, the decanter grasped so firmly in his hand that his knuckles turned white. Eggsy tore his eyes away from Harry’s hand to meet his eyes defiantly. ‘’Old enough to drink,’’ he said, slightly irritated by Harry’s question. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was because there were already so many things that set him and Harry apart, and he didn’t want to state the most obvious one out loud. But he was embarrassed about his behaviour; it certainly wasn’t good manners to answer Harry’s question like that.

‘’I’m 24,’’ he said eventually and Harry let out a shaky laugh. ‘’Christ, you’re so young. I don’t even remember being 24.’’

‘’How old are you, then?’’

‘’Fifty-one,’’ said Harry quietly and poured Eggsy a drink. _What does he think of me_ , thought Eggsy. Harry must have seen and experienced so much already, there wasn’t much Eggsy could give him. Harry had lived through two wars and Eggsy barely remembered the second one. Harry looked at the glass in his hand thoughtfully and Eggsy watched Harry. He looked tired and melancholy, and for a moment, Eggsy felt that he was intruding, that Harry would much rather be alone right now. After a while, Harry lifted his head to smile at Eggsy. ‘’To youth,’’ he said, and took a large swig. It didn’t feel right to repeat the toast, so Eggsy didn’t.

\--

Around seven, they heard a car pull up in front of the house. They hadn’t moved from their positions in the living room and the sound of tires on gravel scared Eggsy at first; he felt like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have (and maybe he _really_ shouldn’t have been having a drink with an attractive man twice his age in his home?). Harry’s reaction was much more subdued. Eggsy guessed that he knew who was coming, because he stood up with a resigned sigh. ‘’Excuse me, Eggsy, it seems we have company. Stay here,’’ he said and left Eggsy alone in the living room.

He heard the door open and a female voice call out to Harry. It must have been his wife and Eggsy felt his curiosity rise. He wanted to know what she looked like, but at the same time, he didn’t want to meet her. He gripped his glass a little bit harder and tried to stay calm.

‘’Helen,’’ said Harry in a light tone that sounded forced. ‘’What can I do for you?’’

‘’I forgot Roxy’s presents. And I came to convince you to come with me.’’

‘’I’m afraid I’m currently entertaining a guest, Helen. I’ll get the presents.’’

Eggsy heard their voices get closer, Harry was presumably headed upstairs. He hoped that they wouldn’t come into the living room.

Eggsy heard the woman – Helen – ask, ‘’A guest?’’ right outside the doorway before she stepped in. She was everything Eggsy imagined she would be, if slightly more rumpled. Her hair do was starting to lose its volume and hold and her navy blue dress had creases. She looked at Eggsy for a long moment, sizing him up. Eggsy waited for her to say something, too nervous to say anything himself, but it seemed that Helen would be content to stare at him for a while longer. Luckily, Harry came in then and took it upon himself to introduce them. ‘’Helen, this is Gary Unwin. I just met him recently at Maybridges. He’s the one who recommended the train set.’’ Eggsy was grateful that Harry had introduced him by his given name. Telling Helen his nickname felt too personal, somehow. ‘’Gary, this is Helen, my wife.’’

Eggsy forced himself to stand up, because it was the polite thing to do. _Manners_ , he thought to himself. ‘’How do you do?’’ he said, but didn’t move to shake her hand, but Helen didn’t seem to mind.

‘’I’ll get the presents,’’ said Harry and Eggsy wanted to ask him not to leave him alone with Helen. Instead, he bit his tongue and stood there awkwardly as Harry went upstairs. Helen moved around the living room, assessing, as if looking for changes Harry had made. ‘’What do you do, Gary?’’ she asked suddenly, even though Harry had told him.

‘’I work at Maybridges, toy department,’’ he answered anyway.

Helen hummed thoughtfully. ‘’And do you provide such personal attention to every client?’’ she asked with thinly veiled vitriol in her voice. Eggsy was at a loss. It was clear what Helen was implying. Eggsy swallowed heavily trying to think of an answer, his mind racing a million miles a minute, when Harry came it. He seemed to take in the situation before him, Helen looking at Eggsy accusingly, and Eggsy imagined that he looked as taken aback as he felt. ‘’Well then,’’ Harry said simply. ‘’I think it’s better if you go, Helen.’’

Harry turned to lead Helen out and she followed him. As soon as she was out of the room, Eggsy’s knees seemed to give in and he crumbled back into the armchair.

It took nearly ten minutes before Harry came back. He looked exhausted. ‘’I’m sorry, Eggsy,’’ he said.

‘’It’s alright, you couldn’t have known.’’  Eggsy didn’t feel alright at all.

Harry looked out of the window for along moment. ‘’I think it’s best if you went home,’’ he said eventually. Eggsy wanted to protest, but at the same time he knew that he couldn’t make Harry feel better. He hummed in response because he didn’t trust his voice.

‘’Would you mind terribly if I put you on a train, dear boy? I’m in no state to drive back to London right now.’’

Eggsy tried not to be disappointed, but it was probably for the best.

‘’There’s an 8.09 train to London. I’ll drive you to the station.’’

‘’Sure.’’

At the station, Harry apologised again. Eggsy wanted to say something, anything, but he found it very hard to think. ‘’It’s alright,’’ he mumbled. Harry gave him a small sad smile. ‘’Is it really?’’

Eggsy got on the train and valiantly tried to only think about cameras and developing chemicals and not at all about how excited he had been that morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I'm aiming for weekly updates and a total of 10 chapters!  
> [This](https://cache.mrporter.com/images/products/707561/707561_mrp_ou_xl.jpg) is the suit Harry thinks would suit Eggsy. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr: [eggmuffinwrites](http://eggmuffinwrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Next time: apologies, bad news and gifts.


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